5
It is also important to note that “new technologies” do
not necessarily refer to units being commissioned for the
first time in an industrial environment. Here, “new” means
technologies that are not familiar to the company or to the
project team.
In addition to technological risks, several factors influ-
ence the overall risk level:
• Plant size and throughput
• Potential environmental hazards or human safety
issues: during start-ups, the risk of incidents is
increased due to unsteady operations, the use of new
equipment, and an inexperienced operating staff
• Operating staff background and culture:
– Start-ups in traditional mining districts (e.g., the
Iron Range, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, and the
Appalachian Coal Basin) where mining and min-
eral processing is part of the population DNA
differ significantly from those in regions with no
mining tradition
– In Western Africa, additional challenges arise, such
as cultural differences, language barriers, and vari-
able literacy levels.
• Social and political context.
Pre-Start-up Actions
Effective mitigation of mineral processing plant start- up
risks begins far before the first ore is fed to the plant. In
best-case scenarios, the operating support team is involved
in the plant design, flowsheet development, and equipment
selection. Conversely, the design team can offer valuable
insights to the start-up team regarding decisions during the
design phase.
Specific documentation should be available, and ade-
quate training should be provided to standardize tasks,
increasing operator efficiency, and to ensure a safe and
hazard-free working environment. Key pre-start-up actions
include:
• Engineering: Validation of drawings and con-
struction site with a “site applicability check” for
plant arrangement and engineering design criteria.
Validation of operability and maintainability, imple-
menting adjustments as necessary.
• Operating documents: Unlike equipment-specific
maintenance and operating documents from provid-
ers upon purchase, documents should capture plant
as a whole, and its specificity, process particularities
and task schemes. Operating documents include:
– Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
– Operating manuals
– Control plans and list of operating set points
– Production reports.
• Training and Coaching: Customized training is man-
datory, as mineral processing plants are unique, no
two concentrators are identical. Trainers should have
both knowledge of the process and an understanding
of the plant’s unique characteristics. Training of on-
site operational staff should be part of the operation
crew onboarding during the last months of construc-
tion and continue with coaching support through-
out the first months of operation.
Organisational Structure and Start-up Actions
Starting up a mineral processing plant is complex and
requires seamless coordination among the entire plant crew,
operations support teams, and equipment manufacturer
representatives. This organization involves the following
key actions:
• Organisational structure During the start-up period,
the organizational chart and hierarchy differ from
those of regular operations. It is crucial for plant
management to agree on this temporary chain of
command and to ensure that all employees are
informed of the start-up structure.
• Start-up Plan: A start-up plan involves creating a
comprehensive decision tree that outlines every key
step of the process. Operating set-points are pro-
vided, with various paths based on process responses.
It includes steps for adding water, reagents, and
increasing throughput. This plan serves not only for
the initial start-up but also as a reference after major
plant maintenance.
• Coaching and Support: In the initial months, the
operating support team assists the operating staff
(including control room operators) with their daily
tasks, offering guidance on significant process deci-
sions and also supervising operators. This coaching
continues until the operators can independently
manage the plant or achieve specific performance
targets.
Before starting ore processing, equipment and operat-
ing sequences are often tested with water to check pump-
ing, piping seals, agitators, leaks and instrumentation. This
testing period can last from days to weeks, depending on
the issues found.
Once the tests with water are done, a start-up with
pulp is performed. This step consists in introducing for
the first time ore into the plant, gradually increasing the
throughput. This period requires a continuous attention
It is also important to note that “new technologies” do
not necessarily refer to units being commissioned for the
first time in an industrial environment. Here, “new” means
technologies that are not familiar to the company or to the
project team.
In addition to technological risks, several factors influ-
ence the overall risk level:
• Plant size and throughput
• Potential environmental hazards or human safety
issues: during start-ups, the risk of incidents is
increased due to unsteady operations, the use of new
equipment, and an inexperienced operating staff
• Operating staff background and culture:
– Start-ups in traditional mining districts (e.g., the
Iron Range, Abitibi Greenstone Belt, and the
Appalachian Coal Basin) where mining and min-
eral processing is part of the population DNA
differ significantly from those in regions with no
mining tradition
– In Western Africa, additional challenges arise, such
as cultural differences, language barriers, and vari-
able literacy levels.
• Social and political context.
Pre-Start-up Actions
Effective mitigation of mineral processing plant start- up
risks begins far before the first ore is fed to the plant. In
best-case scenarios, the operating support team is involved
in the plant design, flowsheet development, and equipment
selection. Conversely, the design team can offer valuable
insights to the start-up team regarding decisions during the
design phase.
Specific documentation should be available, and ade-
quate training should be provided to standardize tasks,
increasing operator efficiency, and to ensure a safe and
hazard-free working environment. Key pre-start-up actions
include:
• Engineering: Validation of drawings and con-
struction site with a “site applicability check” for
plant arrangement and engineering design criteria.
Validation of operability and maintainability, imple-
menting adjustments as necessary.
• Operating documents: Unlike equipment-specific
maintenance and operating documents from provid-
ers upon purchase, documents should capture plant
as a whole, and its specificity, process particularities
and task schemes. Operating documents include:
– Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
– Operating manuals
– Control plans and list of operating set points
– Production reports.
• Training and Coaching: Customized training is man-
datory, as mineral processing plants are unique, no
two concentrators are identical. Trainers should have
both knowledge of the process and an understanding
of the plant’s unique characteristics. Training of on-
site operational staff should be part of the operation
crew onboarding during the last months of construc-
tion and continue with coaching support through-
out the first months of operation.
Organisational Structure and Start-up Actions
Starting up a mineral processing plant is complex and
requires seamless coordination among the entire plant crew,
operations support teams, and equipment manufacturer
representatives. This organization involves the following
key actions:
• Organisational structure During the start-up period,
the organizational chart and hierarchy differ from
those of regular operations. It is crucial for plant
management to agree on this temporary chain of
command and to ensure that all employees are
informed of the start-up structure.
• Start-up Plan: A start-up plan involves creating a
comprehensive decision tree that outlines every key
step of the process. Operating set-points are pro-
vided, with various paths based on process responses.
It includes steps for adding water, reagents, and
increasing throughput. This plan serves not only for
the initial start-up but also as a reference after major
plant maintenance.
• Coaching and Support: In the initial months, the
operating support team assists the operating staff
(including control room operators) with their daily
tasks, offering guidance on significant process deci-
sions and also supervising operators. This coaching
continues until the operators can independently
manage the plant or achieve specific performance
targets.
Before starting ore processing, equipment and operat-
ing sequences are often tested with water to check pump-
ing, piping seals, agitators, leaks and instrumentation. This
testing period can last from days to weeks, depending on
the issues found.
Once the tests with water are done, a start-up with
pulp is performed. This step consists in introducing for
the first time ore into the plant, gradually increasing the
throughput. This period requires a continuous attention